Death of man in DC security guards' custody called homicide

WASHINGTON (AP) — The death of a special education teacher who died after being taken into custody by security guards at an apartment building in southeast Washington has been classified as a homicide.

A spokeswoman for the District of Columbia's chief medical examiner said Monday that homicide was the manner of death for 27-year-old Alonzo Smith.

The spokeswoman, Mikelle Devillier, says the cause of death was a heart attack complicated by "acute cocaine toxicity" and compression of his torso.

This photo provided by Beverly Smith shows her son, Alonzo Smith. The death of Smith, a special education teacher who died in November after being taken into custody by security guards at an apartment building in southeast Washington, has been classified as a homicide, a spokeswoman for the District of Columbia's chief medical examiner said Monday, Dec. 14, 2015. (Beverly Smith via AP)

Smith died on Nov. 1. A police report says officers got a report about an assault at an apartment building and arrived to find him handcuffed by security guards. He was unconscious and not breathing.

D.C. police are investigating Smith's death. A department spokesman says police plan to issue a statement about the findings.